Second Chance

[Kaji Fireson]

May 20th, 2011
Darwin Entertainment Center
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

God, jetlag is a bitch...

Fireson-Sensei, we landed three days ago. The jetlag should have worn off by now.

Isamu Suzuki, #1 contender of sorts for the APW Heavyweight and Suicidal Championships, and his manager/teacher/mentor/agent David Fireson are standing outside the Darwin Entertainment Center. Isamu is dressed in a beige t-shirt and denim jeans, whereas his manager is dressed in a royal blue t-shirt and khakis. Each man is looking up at the theater in which Isamu will do battle in the coming days. David seems pretty confident, but Isamu is a bit wary.

What's eatin' ya', kid?

Well, I was doing a little research on Darwin last night, trying to figure out why President Jeff is holding a pay-per-view in such a small venue, when I stumbled across something rather disturbing.

And what's that?

Apparently Japan bombed this city in World War II.

David chuckles, lightly slapping Isamu on the back.

Son, everybody bombed everybody back in those days. They bombed the US, Germany bombed England, England bombed Germany, Russia bombed Japan...bombs were just flying everywhere.

Isamu really doesn't seem that relieved, so David stops him, turns him to face his mentor squarely, and looks deep into his eyes.

You really need to stop letting these crazy people get to you. If there's anybody we run into in Darwin that's seriously still pissed off about the bombing in World War II, they're either grasping at straws for a basis of their xenophobia, or they're so old you don't need to worry about them actually hurting you. You need to relax and focus on your job; you don't have to deal with those insane people. That's what security is for.

Isamu takes a deep breath to try and calm himself down.

I'll try to keep my mind on the match.

David chuckles and points at the camera.

Don't try, do. You've got a camera and a captive audience, so tell 'em what you think.

Isamu shifty-eyes, seeming like he's going to blush a bit. Then he looks back up at the Entertainment Center.

Okay, but not here.

With that, Isamu treks into the Entertainment Center, with David following close behind.

May 20th, 2011
Inside the Darwin Entertainment Center
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

This place is much bigger inside than I thought it would be.

David is seated ringside as Isamu stands in the center of the ring. He barely acknowledges that his teacher said anything, as he's looking up the (admittedly somewhat short) ramp to where the APW Jumbotron is situated. The stage area is large enough to fit the screen, which impresses both Isamu and David (and is probably why the latter made the statement he did), but Isamu is focused on something else.

About a month ago, I did something extremely foolish.

Isamu's eyes inch their way skyward, having started around the center of the screen, working their way up until his gaze is focused on the steel frame at the top edge, and the catwalk that lies within for workers to access the top of the screen. Of course, the hazard of having a huge screen with ladders on the side and a catwalk along the top are obvious, even moreso for Isamu than for others.

Believing there to be no other way for me to put away Rico Casteel two Asylums ago, I climbed all the way to the top of the screen, working my way down until I was directly over the Loose Cannon, and then I hurled myself from that great height, landing on nothing but solid steel, denting it with my body as Rico recovered.

Yeah, and Rico still had to hit a Bedlam Buster to keep your dumbass from kicking out.

Isamu grins sheepishly, still a little flustered by the show of emotion from his trainer.

I don't know if he needed it, per se, but he certainly felt the need to finish me off with his own move, rather than my foolish leap of faith.

That says a lot about you, Rico. You're a man that doesn't like outside forces to interfere with your affairs. You want to win or lose by your own volition, rather than by someone else's mistakes. You certainly got upset enough at me for making the leap, and I can assure you that it won't happen again, not with the stakes as high as they are for me this week.

APW is probably tired of hearing it by now, but this is certainly the biggest match of my career, and will likely stay that way for a long while now. Last month, I had the opportunity to walk out of the Boston Garden the APW Suicidal Champion. This week, I have the opportunity to walk out of the Darwin Entertainment Center not only the APW Suicidal Champion, but also the APW World Heavyweight Champion. I have only wrestled professionally in six professional wrestling matches. This Sunday is lucky number seven, and I could walk out with both the APW World Heavyweight and Suicidal championships. I'd say that's a match worthy of being called my biggest match yet, and possibly the biggest match yet for Rico and James as well.

The fact that this double title match is a triple threat match is probably aggravating Rico. As I said, he seems the sort that wants to do everything himself, lose or win matches and titles by his own power, or lack thereof, and since this is a triple threat double fall match, he could lose the Suicidal Championship and his shot at the World Heavyweight Championship without ever being pinned. He could lose two matches without ever touching either of his opponents.

I'd say that's a bit extreme, kid.

Extreme, yes, but not impossible. The match is anything goes, so it's entirely possible for Rico to be trapped outside the ring while James and myself battle it out.

I wouldn't want that, because much like Rico, I want to win because I was the best wrestler present on that night, not the best wrestler present that wasn't handcuffed to a ringpost or a curtain or what-have-you. I want the chance to prove, one more time, that I can stand toe-to-toe with Rico Casteel, and then I want to show him, and the world, that I am able to overcome him. I pushed him to the limit weeks ago in Boston, and here in Australia, I will prove that I can defeat him without resorting to such desperate means. I will prove that I learned my lesson in Boston, and will only take one of those life-altering risks if it's the only way to win.

You'll also remember not to take a risk that can KILL you if you fuck it up!

Yes, that too...

Isamu takes a deep breath, using the momentary pause to recompose himself before moving on.

Rico Casteel, there's not much more for me to say to you. You are the Suicidal Champion, and your championship is on the line first. I have no doubt that you will fight extra hard in the first fall, because World Heavyweight championship or no, you have held that Suicidal Championship since its inception, and you'll want to keep it while aiming to win the World Heavyweight Champion. At least, if I were in your shoes, I would.

Of course, I also have to consider what I'd do if I were in Jimmy's shoes.

Pretty obvious, so far as I can tell. Save your strength in the first fall and keep all your big guns for the fall that matters.

Isamu furrows his brow a bit.

Well, I suppose that's one way to do it, but I get the feeling that James Chambers is far too competitive to do such a thing.

I think it's going to fall more along the lines of having to prove himself after eating that loss to Chris Cyrus in Providence, but I suppose you can think of it that way, too.

Fair enough. Either way, James Chambers is a formidable foe. He proved his resilience many times during that match, and was only brought down when both Rico and Cyrus had hit their finishing moves, and a low blow to boot. Despite his feelings for Chris Cyrus, Jimmy has nothing to be ashamed of in his loss this past week.

I think he's more concerned with the loss of momentum than how well he performed in the tag team match.

Isamu's eyes darken a bit; he shares Jimmy's pain in having a loss to Chris Cyrus.

No, I think it's probably at least mostly to do with losing to Chris Cyrus. Take it from someone else that has been defeated by Cyrus in recent memory, James, I do understand your frustration. However, you mustn't let it get you down, because the moment that it gets you down is the moment that either Rico or myself is going to take advantage of your weakness, and then you'll either miss your chance at the Suicidal championship, or you'll find yourself without the APW World Heavyweight Championship.

Much like Rico, I see you fighting with all your might to retain your championship, because also like Rico, you have held it since Asylum's rebirth. For almost six months you have been the IWC Insane/APW World Heavyweight Champion, vanquishing Chris Cyrus and a few others at some point or another to gain and retain your title. Yesterday marked exactly five months you've held your title, and I believe Rico has the same reign. The odds are certainly in favor of at least one of these reigns ending on Sunday night, right here, in the middle of this ring.

For those playing at home, there are nine possible outcomes of this match, and in only one outcome does neither title change hands. That leaves eight possible outcomes where at least one title changes hands.

For the record, those outcomes are, in first fall winner, second fall winner format:

Rico Casteel James Chambers
Rico Casteel Isamu Suzuki
Rico Casteel Rico Casteel
James Chambers Rico Casteel
James Chambers James Chambers
James Chambers Isamu Suzuki
Isamu Suzuki Rico Casteel
Isamu Suzuki James Chambers
Isamu Suzuki Isamu Suzuki

In five of those scenarios, I win a championship. In all fairness, Rico and James each appear in five of those scenarios, so our odds of winning do not change based on that, but all the same, I have far more to gain and far less to lose than Rico, and much less than Jimmy. So be prepared for the fight of your life, because if you think I'm going to let this opportunity pass me by, you've got another thing coming.

Though I must say, before I go any further, that I expect nothing except for the fight of my life out of both Rico and Jimmy. I have the utmost respect for Rico, but I certainly expect the most resistance to come out of our reigning World Heavyweight Champion, since he has the most to lose. He has his world championship, he has his reputation, and he also has to show Chris Cyrus that what happened in Rhode Island was an absolute fluke. I know it to be a fluke, Jimmy knows it to be a fluke, and even Rico knows that it was a fluke; after all, if Rico hadn't been forced to team up with our favorite man to hate, then he never would have had what it takes to beat Jimmy. It's been made obvious in the past that Cyrus can't beat Jimmy on his own, and if Cyrus earns another match one-on-one with Jimmy, it will be proven once again.

But that is for another day. This Sunday, in Asylum's main event, three warriors will collide, and come hell or high water, I am walking out of this ring either the Suicidal or World Heavyweight Champion. To do anything less would be to bring dishonor to myself and my family, and to spit in the face of all those that have given me this opportunity to prove myself in this business. I'd rather not give President Jeff, the incapacitated Reginald Schmidt, or the trainer sitting down there in the front row the proverbial slap in the face, so I'm going to do everything in my power to vindicate their choice to give me a chance to compete with the best that APW has to offer.

Isamu looks down at the front row seat where David had been sitting, but when he does, David is no longer there. Furrowing his brow, he looks all around the theater to see where he's gone, but he cannot find him. He slides out of the ring and walks up the aisleways, out into the lobby of the theater. What he finds are three large Australian thugs triple-teaming David. David's fighting back the best he can, but there's only so much you can do against three men, especially when two are restraining you and a third is wailing away on your face.

Isamu charges in without a second thought, nailing ia big right hand on the thug wailing away on David. He staggers back and the two restraining the trainer start to fight, but David springs into action, back elbowing one and letting Isamu blast the other with a big dropkick that sends him staggering back into the wall, hitting his back and knocking the wind out of him. David hits a haymaker on the third to knock him back, and now that Isamu and David have a united front, the three thugs scatter.

Once they're gone, David falls to one knee, and Isamu is right there to check on him.

Are you alright, Sensei?

David chuckles, despite taking haggard, ragged breaths.

I'll be fine. I'll have a few bruises, but they'll fade. You need to keep your mind on the title match.

But if you're hurt--

I'll. Be. Fine. Don't worry about me, I've had way worse than those punks.

Isamu doesn't seem convinced, but David won't relent, so he doesn't press the issue.

Let's at least get you back to the hotel so you can rest. It's about time to eat, anyway.

David rolls his eyes at his charge trying to turn the tables on him, but since he has a point, he lets Isamu lead him back to the hotel. As they leave the lobby of the hotel, David's eyes overflowing with guilt and Isamu's with worry, the scene fades to black.